I am buying a 1937 Plymouth Checker Special Taxi. I plan on keeping it looking like a taxi. It has the original 201 six. My possibilities are: 1.keep the same engine and do nothing to it 2.change the head, intake and exhaust manifold 3.change to a 230 six and change the head, intake, and exhaust 4.get a flathead eight 5.put an sbc in it 6.put a pontiac engine from either the mid to late 60's or the early 70's that i already have lying around in it. 7.other I have seen all the people hating on sbc engines and the people who replace the original flatheads so i want to see what the actual results of this poll will be. This is merely a poll for curiosities sake so dont get too pissy. If you have any other suggestions put other and post your suggestion. Thanks, Austin EDIT: This car is NOT a daily driver. currently in college and will have this car as a toy for weekends and just general playing with.
Really depends on your plans for it. Big differance if you'll only drive it to shows on Sundays or use it for work and getting groceries everyday.
how about a mopar v-8 ... like a 273 , 318 , 340? i'm not sure how they would fit , maybe someone else here does
j man, i was thinking about doing that but i am also curious what the people reading this thread have to say about it.
I have a 37 Plymouth pick up and I am going to put in a Ford Y Block 292 with a 3x2 ! Something different and they sound great too !
Chrysler Spitfire six. Better than the 230. Looks almost the same and goes in easy. Plus that was my dads idea for me and my first driver. Except he got me a DeSoto 6
There's a fella' next town over has a mid 30's Mopar sedan with a turbocharged Slant Six in his. Put it in back in the late 70's/early 80's and drives it everywhere. It's a "beater" with different colored body parts and has been that way for as long as I can remember. He was an "anti-gold chainer" before there was such a thing. Not necessarliy sayin' you need a turbo but it's all under the stock hood so a Slant would probably fit.
I think that would be cool, and from personal experience I'll tell you that a Chrysler six is pretty powerful. Had a '41 Windsor sedan with the 241 that I rebuilt, it'd cruise happily along at 70+ all day. Lose the fluid drive tho...
Be careful when you drop the Chrysler in. It's just enough longer that the front mount will sit on and squash the brake line where it crosses over on the crossmember. Move it fowared 2 inches or so.
for me it is probably between getting a pontiac engine that i already have or keep same engine just change some parts
The main factor for me is that i dont have a lot of money that i can spend on this so that is why i would either modify original or use an engine that i took out of another car previously that i have on an engine stand.
OE motor, 230, OE hopped up, Mopar small block, Hemi You could trade/sell your motors for a mid 80s dodge van or RV and get an engine, trans, EI ignition, driveshaft to cut, wheels, wiring, steering column and anything else you can pull. I have 2 out back, bought for 300 each. SBC is O-V-E-R-D-O-N-E. Pontiac I could see, except it's a bunch of work to fit. Might as well do a BBM. Example: Dodge truck with a small block http://houston.craigslist.org/cto/1110067949.html
Sell the poncho motor and get a 360 and overdrive auto out of a pickup or van and throw it in, lots of 360's around, lots of power to weight, dependable and easy to get parts for.
If the 201 is ok, run it. If not look for a Spitfire 6. The old cab will look cool mostly-kinda sorta-original. Good Luck. Lucky667
thanks for the suggestions guys. I think i will just leave it the way it is for right now and just add stuff to original engine because i have practically no money to devote to the engine right now...